Could Have
by WindowChild
Summary: AU. Sally is killed when Percy is a young boy, leaving him to be raised by Chiron and grow up at Camp Half Blood.
1. Chapter 1

"Can you quiet down, please?" Chiron used all his strength to make it sound polite, but it came out somewhat snappish anyway. He felt as if he was the only who cared about the boy. "He doesn't know yet, and it'd be very unfortunate if he found out this way."

Poseidon cleared his throat. "I agree. Can we get back to business, please?"

"All I'm saying is," continued Dionysus, "it's kind of asking a lot for me to keep this secret. What am I supposed to say?" Chiron almost felt sympathetic towards him; they all knew how threatening Zeus could be.

"That's he's a half-blood," Poseidon said, his strong voice tired, "Unclaimed, and you're lucky to have found him. He was alone, and you want to make sure no further harm comes to him."

Dionysus raised his eyebrows. "And when they realize that it's none of theirs?"

Poseidon cracked a smile, cocking his head to the right. "Clearly you've been absent from Olympus for too long."

Dionysus flushed, from something other than alcohol, and changed direction. "But it could be dangerous having him here, couldn't it? _Your_ son and all."

Dangerous for them, Chiron thought angrily. No one cared about the five-year-old boy who was about to discover his mother had died. He stayed silent of course, being the inferior of the three.

"I am sorry about that," Poseidon said, "I have broken the pact, proving my brothers right and myself wrong. I am deeply sorry for my son."

This seemed to gratify Dionysus, who nodded, but Chiron felt all the more enraged. Of course, he could apologize for his son's _existence_, but not for his own mistake. He wondered where his deep empathy for the boy came from; perhaps it was from his own broken home.

"And what will I do?" Dionysus asked. "Have him grow up here?" He seemed bored, and Chiron could practically visualize his brain cells stretching to maximum capacity. It was time for his daily goblet of intoxicants.

"Yes," Poseidon replied at last, "I think that will be the best course of action. He can be trained not to overuse his powers."

"Trained?" Dionysus laughed, "Evidently, _you've_ never been to this camp before. They don't know how to control it, not even the teenagers." His expression conveyed his notorious dislike for the adolescent demigods.

"Well, keep him safe then," Poseidon said, "Don't tell him that I'm his father… at least not until the prophecy has passed."

Both Chiron and Dionysus froze; they'd forgotten about that tiny detail. "And you think… you think keeping him here will stop it from happening?" Chiron said softly.

Poseidon looked thoughtful. "It often doesn't work like that, but if we are careful, perhaps the Fates will work in our favor. Assuming that my brothers were not as weak as I, it will buy us further time."

Chiron considered this. If Poseidon could be so susceptible to mortal females, it was altogether possible that Zeus and Hades might be as well. He made a mental note to be extra careful about locating half bloods.

"Who will tell the boy, Patrick, or whatever his name is?" Dionysus asked.

"Percy," Chiron and Poseidon corrected him together.

"I will do it!" Chiron said vehemently, wanting to make sure they heard him. "I will tell him, and raise him for a year. He can adjust to the idea at his own speed. Then, on his seventh birthday, we will move him here." He was slightly breathless, fearing their response, but hoped he got the idea across. If no one else would care about the boy, he would himself.

Poseidon glanced at him, and then at Dionysus. "It sounds reasonable. He won't be as alarmed, that way. Less of a chance that he'll be... eager for revenge." He eyes flashed darkly, and then returned to their bright green. "You would really be willing?"

Chiron nodded, as vigorously as he could. "As long as you don't think he'd be bothered by me being a centaur."

Poseidon smiled. "He'll have more to worry about, I'm sure. Alright then, it's settled. Dionysus, save a spot for him in the Hermes cabin for a year from now. He can remain unclaimed, I suppose."

Chiron wanted to protest on what this could do to a demigod's mental state, but thought better of it. It was the only way, after all. "We'll do our best to ignore the prophecy, then?"

Poseidon nodded, "Yes, I think we can for now. As long as he never finds out about it, I think it will be fine."

"Okay…" Chiron said hesitantly, "I'm sorry about," he thought desperately for her name, "Sally."

Poseidon smiled sadly, seeming touched, "Thank you. And thank you for taking my son."

Chiron bowed his head, "You're welcome. Percy seems like a sweet boy, I'm sure he'll be no trouble at all."

A/N: Yay! The first chapter! Reviews are appreciated. : )


	2. Chapter 2

It had been nearly a month. A month since Percy Jackson's world had pivoted on its heel, leaving him a motherless demigod living with Chiron, the centaur.

He still seemed confused. He wandered around Chiron's newly bought and childproofed apartment with a blank expression on his face, occasionally asking questions. Chiron chalked the peculiar behavior up to shock. After all, it was a lot more than a five year-old was capable of understanding.

"Mommy?" Percy asked, spinning away from the window. "Where'd she go, again?"

Chiron sighed, handing Percy a juice box as a substitute for a proper explanation. Percy had taken the news of his mother's death spectacularly well, only to misremember it from then on. As adjusted as Chiron was to telling children of their parents' death, it was an odd situation with a smaller child.

Then there was the demigod thing too, of course. Chiron had tried his hardest to get the idea across, but it was painfully difficult. Four weeks later, and it was crystal clear that Percy didn't understand a word of it. Once in a while, he'd ask about that too.

"I'm a what?" he'd say, his green eyes conflicted. And Chiron would patiently go over the idea again, knowing that Percy wouldn't remember it for more than a minute.

It was on the fifth Tuesday of their new life that Chiron grew determined to change things. He woke up to the sounds of Percy running around the living room, only to decide that he wasn't doing a good enough job as a guardian. Percy should be learning, both academics and about his purpose in the world. Cramping him up in an apartment wouldn't do him any good, especially not if he was going to move into camp soon.

Chiron approached Percy after breakfast, an inevitable suggestion stuck in his mind. "How would you like to go swimming Percy?" Although it may have been pushing the boundaries of fate a little too far, Chiron decided this was the less important matter of the two. Percy deserved to recognize his own talents.

Percy's face lit up in a way Chiron had never seen it do. "I love swimming!" he exclaimed, jumping off the carpeted floor. "Mommy used to take me."

Chiron awkwardly ignored this; he was growing all too practiced at deflecting the 'Mommy' comments. "You want to go, then?"

Percy nodded, grinning like a kid was supposed to, "Yes! Yes! Yes!"

After digging up an ancient kiddy suit and water wings, they headed over to the public pool. Chiron was already uncomfortable, his wheelchair disguise attracting a fair amount of attention. He hated how falsely piteous mortals could be. Percy noticed too, and began tugging on Chiron's arm. "What're you doing in the chair?" he asked, his bowl cut flipping as he turned his head.

Chiron smiled. "Remember? Our little secret."

A moment passed, and then Percy nodded excitedly. "Yeah, the gods," he whispered.

Chiron felt an impending block of frustration melt away. At last, he'd gotten through. "Right," Chiron replied softly, "So don't tell anyone, okay?"

Percy nodded again, apparently excited over the prospect of keeping a secret. "Okay."

"Do you want to go swim now?" Chiron asked, "I can stay here and watch."

"Yeah," Percy replied, jumping up and down. He gave a small wave, and then ran, catapulting into the water. Chiron smiled after him. There was certainly no doubt that he was a son of Poseidon.

Percy proceeded to do some fairly impressive tricks, all of which caught the admiration of on-looking adults. Most little kids couldn't do flip dives off of the high diving board.

"Is that your son?" a hawk-like woman asked Chiron, her eyes fixed beadily upon Percy.

Chiron felt a surge of pride; for all intents and purposes, he was. "Yes," he replied.

Her lips were puckered, most likely out of jealousy. "Where did he learn those fantastic dives?" she asked, her gaze never wavering in intensity.

Chiron lifted his chin, able to say one thing honestly. "Oh, he doesn't take lessons. He just taught himself."

The woman made a huffing sound, and walked away. Chiron decided to buy Percy ice cream later.

The afternoon continued on fairly well, a few people giving genuine compliments to Percy and his skill. Chiron accepted them all gratefully, nervously considering what he'd say to Percy if Percy heard people saying he was his son.

It was only after lunch that things hit a slightly sour note. Percy got into an argument with another swimmer, and splashed him in the face as a part of defending himself.

_Look at that, _Chiron thought to himself, _He already knows how to utilize his abilities in a fight. _

"Chiron!" Percy wailed, plump tears sliding down his tanned skin. "He hit me!"

The other boy called similarly for his parents, crying on about how Percy had gotten the chlorine into his eyes.

"Alright," Chiron said kindly, wheeling over and picking Percy out of the pool. "Time to go." He dearly hoped that they wouldn't half to deal with the opposing boy's family.

Percy continued to sob, clutching to Chiron's arm. "He hit me, he hit me!"

"I know," Chiron replied, as soothingly as he could manage. "Why don't we go home, alright?"

Before Percy could reply, Chiron rode away from the poolside, nervously glancing over his shoulder for the boy's parents. So far no one was chasing them.

After a few minutes of relative quiet, Percy said, "We're not going home."

Chiron grimaced. Percy seemed to have unfortunate timing with his epiphanies. "Well, no, not really. But," he hesitated, pulling Percy further onto the chair with him, "I hope you grow to think of it as your home."

Percy looked crestfallen. "Why?" he replied, looking positively heartbroken.

Chiron sighed, prepared to repeat himself again. Although this time he thought Percy might understand. "Do you remember what I told you?" he asked gently, patting Percy on the shoulder. "About your mommy?"

Percy thought about it. "Is that where she is? Gone?"

Chiron nodded sadly. "Yes. I'm sorry, Percy." Percy nodded too, evidently considering this. Chiron reached forward, tentatively giving the boy a hug. Maybe they wouldn't be so bad together, after all.

A/N: Just to give you a warning, there's going to be quite of bit of time jumping in this fic. Reviews are appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3

Months passed. Slowly but surely Percy began to adjust to his new life, becoming the impulsive little boy that he'd once been. Chiron never ceased to worry about him though, even after he lost his original 'shy' motif. As it turned out, this was an incredible understatement, and Chiron soon learned the joys of downstairs neighbors.

It was mid-Saturday afternoon, and Percy was having his usual games of battle in the living room. Chiron had bought him several action figures, unaware of the hazard they could become in the hands of a little boy.

There was a sudden banging on the door, which surprised Chiron. They didn't know anybody in the building. "Coming," he shouted wearily, rising from his desk.

Percy continued to make his dolls explode, ignoring the interruption. Chiron had learned that he only gave his attention to anything when he wanted to.

"Hello," Chiron said pleasantly, opening the door.

"Hello," a sour-looking woman replied, "There is too much noise coming from your apartment."

Chiron paused, taken aback. He hadn't thought Percy was all that loud. "I'm sorry," he said, "Well, what can I do for you?"

She shook her fist slightly, her cheeks darkening in color. "Lower it!" She turned away, heading back down in the brass elevator. This was the first of several complaints.

Chiron decided to solve two problems at once, and approached Percy about the concept of school. "How would you like me to start teaching you lessons?" Percy made a confused expression and shook his head. Chiron sighed, continuing. "I'd really like it if you let me teach you. You want to learn to read, don't you?"

Percy shrugged. He didn't like the confusing letters, or the aggravating attempts to make out sentences. He wanted to play with his toys.

"And math," Chiron continued, "Don't you want to learn how to add?" This got an even less enthusiastic reaction. "You don't have to go to actual _school_, yet," Chiron said. It wouldn't be safe, anyway. "I just thought you might want to learn something."

When Percy didn't reply, Chiron pushed on. "You like to learn, don't you?"

"No!" Percy said, folding his arms in frustration. His cheeks puffed out as he frowned. "I don't like learning."

"Alright," Chiron said, leaving it be. "Why don't we talk about your birthday?" He was met by surprising silence. "Percy?" he asked.

He slowly nodded, evidently deep in thought. "Can I have a bowling party?" His mom used to take him bowling; he liked it a lot.

Chiron hesitated, wondering how best to tell Percy that his party was going to be hosted by a sleep away camp. Chiron had arranged it so that Percy might get adjusted to the grounds before moving in a few weeks thereafter. It was time, after all. He was old enough, and everyone in question seemed to think that he'd be safest at camp. Chiron disagreed, but it really wasn't his prerogative to say so.

"Actually," he began tentatively, "I thought we might have an chariot racing party."

"Chariot racing?" Percy repeated, testing out the word. "What's that?"

"Horses," Chiron explained. "Have you gone riding before?"

"Oh, yeah!" Percy said, suddenly excited. "What do we win?"

"Birthday cake, generally," Chiron replied, smiling. "At least during a party."

"Cool!" Percy exclaimed.

"So you like the idea?"

He nodded brightly, and then asked, "Can I go back to my men now?"

It took Chiron a minute to realize that he was talking about the toys. "Sure. I'll call you when dinner's ready." Percy scrambled off, and Chiron rubbed at his temples. That's how he knew he wasn't ready to be a true father; he worried too much over what Percy might think of every little thing.

He knew he'd have to tell him about camp, though. Dionysus would have his head if he didn't. He would wait until the right moment, he decided. He'd give the information bit by bit until Percy couldn't wait to go.

As it turned out, this opportunity presented itself the next day. "Chiron?" Percy replied, jogging into Chiron's study.

"Yes?"

"When can I play with the horses?"

"Well, next month. At your birthday party." His brain sped ahead, suddenly sparking ingenuity. "But you know, there might be a way for you to play with them all the time."

Percy looked awe-struck. "Really?"

Chiron nodded, "Oh, yes. It's called Camp Half Blood."

"Like me!" Percy replied, pointing at his chest.

"That's right," Chiron said, "There are lots of children like you, there."

Percy considered it. "And there are the horses?"

"Swords too."

His eyes turned into spirals, bursting from his skull. "Wow," he breathed, softly. If chariot racing was exciting, swords were truly apocalyptic.

Chiron paused a second, and then decided to pounce in on the question. "How would you like to stay there, for a while?"

"At the swords place?"

Chiron nodded, "Yes."

"I wanna go!" Percy shouted, jumping up and down.

It took Chiron a moment, and then he smiled. He hadn't expected so little reluctance from such a stubborn kid. "I'll come too," he added, silently wishing that Percy might care about this.

"Really?" Percy replied, smiling still. "Good." He gave another broad grin, and then quietly left the room.

Chiron remained at his desk, nearly humming to himself. The son of Poseidon, happy to be going to camp. Imagine that.


	4. Chapter 4

Chiron had planned Percy's birthday as meticulously as he could. They were to arrive, early Saturday morning, and be greeted by all of camp. Chiron had decided that, despite Percy's enthusiasm, the transition into Camp might be easier if he had some friends. And anyway, who wouldn't want to befriend a perky six year-old?

After the meet and greet, they would have pizza and cake in the dining hall. Chiron knew that Dionysus had some apprehensions about this, but he was going to make sure it went smoothly. He had asked Percy what his favorite food was and received pizza as the instant answer, and so he decided that they would give it to him. It was Percy's day, after all.

They set off at nine a.m., after Chiron had coerced Percy into bathing and allowing his hair to be combed.

"You want to look handsome for all your new friends, don't you?" Chiron noticed that his voice had acquired an automatic cheeriness to it, always encouraging without thought.

"I guess," Percy replied, fiddling his sopping hair with his fingers. "Chiron, am I gonna make friends?"

"Oh yes," Chiron replied, putting a comb to Percy's hair before he could object. "You'll make lots of friends, I promise you. Everyone at camp is very excited to meet you."

"Camp is the swords place, right?"

"Yes, the swords place." Chiron smiled to himself. From the looks of it, Percy was going to be a natural in battle.

"Ow," Percy whined, as Chiron hit a particularly large knot of hair. "Stop, stop!"

"Percy," Chiron said, his nerves hitting slight exasperation, "If I don't get them out now, I never will."

Percy proceeded to pout, folding his arms and wailing whenever Chiron hit a knot. At last, Chiron gave up, and told him he looked very handsome.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

Percy nodded, a smile appearing on his face. "Horses!"

"Yes," Chiron agreed, "Horses." They had arranged, as a special treat, to have Percy ride to camp on a Pegasus. Chiron thought it might be fun, and the Pegasus might help to further assimilate him to the life of a demigod.

"Whoa," Percy exclaimed, nearly jumping off the Pegasus with energy. "I'm flying! Cool horse." He was only hovering above the ground, but Chiron supposed that was still flying.

H gave a light laugh, helping to settle Percy on the Pegasus's back. "This is a Pegasus, Percy. They are part of your special world, as a demigod."

Percy didn't reply, but Chiron thought he heard him muttering 'special world' under his breath.

"I'll be meeting you there, okay?" Chiron said. He didn't have luxury of flying there.

"You're not coming?" Percy asked, sadly.

"Well, I can't fit," Chiron replied, gesturing at his wheelchair. "I'll see you there, alright?"

"Okay…" Percy leaned forward to give Chiron a hug, and Chiron felt his heart warm. They'd grown close over the time they'd spent together.

When he finally arrived, and Chiron felt himself growing tired. If Mr. D was not in a good mood, it might be a very long day. It seemed, though, as if he was not around. The only people on the field were campers and counselors, all wearing warm grins on their faces. Chiron had come a few days before and instructed them to be on their best behavior.

"Happy birthday, Percy," a young daughter of Apollo said.

Percy held his head high, ignoring Chiron's gentle prodding to say thank you. Chiron could tell that he felt important.

"Happy birthday," a boy said. Chiron wasn't sure whose son he was.

"Ah, Percy, this way," Chiron said, "I want you to meet Nate. He's a son of Hermes, and you'll be staying in the Hermes cabin."

Nate was a nice guy, and as far as Chiron knew, he had several mortal half brothers and sisters. He'd be good with Percy.

"Son of Hermes?" Percy replied, sounding out the word.

"Nate, come here a moment," Chiron said, smiling in the boy's direction. "Oh excellent, Grover, you come here too." The two boy's walked over together, both wearing large grins.

"Happy birthday," they said together, looking down at Percy.

He pointed proudly at himself. "I'm six years old, today!"

"Wow," Nate said. He turned to Grover "I don't know, Grover. That's pretty old."

"Yeah," Grover replied, seriously. "You're a big kid."

Chiron was grateful for their kindness to Percy, and made a mental note to thank them later. "Would you two like to ride with Percy, in the chariot today? I thought it might be nice… since, Nate, you'll be in cabin with him."

Both guys continued to grin. "Sure," Nate said, "That'd be great."

"Hey Percy," Grover said, "They have pizza in the dining hall. Do you want to go?"

"Yes!" Percy made a whopping jump into the air, and landed nearly on his knees. "Let's go, let's go!"

The other three all laughed, trailing behind him. "So," Chiron began nervously, "Have you seen Mr. D this morning?"

"No," Grover said, "He's been M.I.A., all day."

"Really?" Chiron replied, curiously. "Well, did he say anything yesterday about it?"

Nate shook his head. "He was going on and on about how it was going to be a horrible morning." Nate grinned. "But it sounded like he was going to come."

"Interesting," Chiron mused. In his mind, things would be all the easier if Dionysus didn't come. He knew that the god would be greatly frustrated by Percy's behavior, and would set prejudice against him for the remainder of his years at camp. The longer they could delay the two meeting, the better.

Percy happily gobbled up his birthday lunch, eating twice as much as any of the older kids. He seemed to like the cake as well, although he played with icing more than he ate it.

After they finished, Chiron instructed that they head out to the field. "We're going to have chariot races."

There was a burst of cheering from the campers, and only Percy continued to sit, indignant. "Percy?" Chiron asked, gently. "What's wrong?"

"No presents," Percy whispered back, taking another bite of his cake.

Chiron could practically feel the silence. It wasn't as if the kids could _buy_ presents while at camp; he'd tell them not feel badly about it later. "Don't worry, Percy," Chiron said, "I'm giving you your present tomorrow."

"Okay," Percy said, separating the syllables and drawing them out. He seemed disappointed.

He cheered up as they walked outside, though, noticing the horses. "Do they fly, too?"

"No," Chiron said, "Well, they do, but not for this. For this, they race. You'll be racing with Nate and Grover, okay?"

"Okay!" Percy ran forward, jumping in front of the graceful black stallion.

"You want Cherrywood?" Chiron asked.

"Yes!"

"Alright, you boys get in, then."

Grover and Nate helped him up, settling him in between them. "Are you ready to race?" Grover asked.

Percy nodded brightly. "Race! Race!"

He got his wish, as they set off in under two minutes. He loved every second of it, too. They hurtled past the other chariots at breakneck speed, only falling behind towards the end.

"No, no!" Percy yelled, with all his might. "I want to win, I want to win!"

"Well, you did," Nate said, quickly. "You're the birthday boy."

"That's right," Grover put in, "You're a winner no matter what."

Percy didn't buy it, and threw a momentary tantrum. He got over it quickly though, as his desire to pet the pretty horse superseded any lingering resentment.

Nate hoisted him up on his shoulders, and Percy lovingly stroked Cherrywood's mane.

"It's soft," he said, smiling happily.

Cherrywood turned and winked at him, and Percy laughed. "It winked, it winked!"

Nate and Grover laughed along with him. It was sort of fun to see someone getting pure joy out of all the half blood stuff.

Chiron approached them, with congratulations, and that was when Dionysus made his entrance. He came running from his office, looking significantly more peeved than usual. Chiron could feel his chest thumping dramatically; that couldn't be good.

"Oh my gods," Grover whispered, "Is that…"

Chiron squinted in the direction where he was looking, and felt his throat close up. Poseidon.

He felt anger seize his limbs. He couldn't yell at the god, of course, but oh how he wanted to. Poseidon had promised to keep his distance, and now there would be no doubt in anyone's mind that Poseidon was Percy's father. Why else would he come? There plan to keep it a secret would be ruined, as would be all hopes of avoiding the prophecy. All their hard work, gone because of a second error, courtesy of Poseidon. He had to literally bite his tongue to keep from losing it.

"Hello," Poseidon said, approaching Percy. "I thought I might wish the birthday boy hello." He gave Percy a twinkling grin. "Welcome to camp. I'm sure you'll be very happy, here."

Percy gaped at him, apparently spellbound. Poseidon was quite… shocking, at first glimpse. Nate and Grover smiled politely, but Chiron knew they were jumping out of their skins. It was unusual for any of the Big Three to meet the half bloods.

Chiron quickly excused himself, going to talk to Dionysus. The wine God looked more furious than _he_ felt.

"He let his emotions override his judgment," Dionysus said, coolly. "Ridiculous."

Chiron could not even nod, thanks to the decorum. He stood silent though, hoping that Dionysus would understand that he agreed.

A good fifteen minutes later, Poseidon left Percy and came back over to his nephew and Chiron.

"I'm sorry," he said plainly, "But I thought the boy should meet me. It might give him some security."

"Security?" Dionysus said. Even he couldn't all-out rage at Poseidon, but his incredulous anger certainly came across. "Everyone's going to be suspicious now!"

Poseidon merely looked past them, back at where Percy was still petting Cherrywood. "Dionysus, mind if I speak to Chiron for a moment?"

Dionysus made one last scathing noise, and then walked away. Chiron felt himself tense.

"I appreciate everything you've done," Poseidon began, compassionately enough. "It's very kind, how well you've treated him. But please remember, he is not your son. He lives at this camp, and not with you. You are getting too attached, as I can see from this party. It is kind, but unnecessary." He tried to smile. "Do not take this the wrong way, I just wanted to remind you."

Chiron bit his tongue to keep from exploding. He wanted to remind Poseidon, that if he wasn't nice to Percy, then _nobody _would be, but of course he couldn't do that. He finally cleared his throat, and said, "He moves into camp in three weeks. You won't have to worry."

"Wonderful," Poseidon replied, walking away. He promptly left, without a goodbye to anyone.

Chiron thought about it for a moment, forcing himself to calm down. He cared about Percy, or even loved him, far more than Poseidon did. Or at least he thought he did. But if that was true, then why would Poseidon jeopardize everything by showing up? He had no answers, and it didn't look as if he'd be receiving any.

"Percy," Chiron called, "Let's go home, now."


	5. Chapter 5

Now that Percy was moving into camp, Chiron had no real reason to keep his apartment. Rather than selling it, though, he was renting out it; that way, if such a situation ever happened again, he'd still have somewhere to live.

After forty-eight straight hours of packing, Chiron thought that they might be ready. Percy's enthusiasm had put him in a good enough mood to help, and he'd been wrapping things in bubble wrap all morning.

"What's this?" Percy asked, holding up a picture of Chiron with some of the gods. Chiron had kept it, lovingly placing it in a silver frame. It wasn't everyday that they took photographs together.

"Oh, just a picture," Chiron replied. He pointed to Dionysus. "He runs the camp where you're going to be staying."

Percy's eyes were wide, as he stared down at the photo. Even on a small print, the gods' heads looked larger than life. "He was at my birthday," Percy said, observantly pointing at Poseidon.

"Yes," Chiron replied, tensely. He hadn't given the god's words much thought since the party, and really wasn't planning on it. He knew that sometimes, when pushed, Poseidon could lose his temper. After all, the god had spent all morning with Dionysus, something that would have triggered anyone. And so, Chiron was ignoring it until further notice, chalking up the warning to a bad mood.

Percy smiled. "He's nice. He gave me a pen."

"What?" Chiron said, looking up sharply.

Percy held up a blue pen. "Look! Isn't it cool?"

"Percy, why didn't you tell me about this?" Chiron asked, taking it quickly from him. It was the closest he'd ever come to scolding the little boy.

"I don't know," Percy answered softly. He looked afraid. "It's just a pen." He played with it between his fingers.

Chiron stood stiffly, debating his options. In the end, he let Percy keep the pen, deciding that he could always take it later if it became a problem. If he was lucky, Poseidon had just been trying to be kind.

"Right," he answered, forcing himself to calm down. After all, it probably wouldn't work as a sword for a few years. "Well, how about you run and make sure that you got all of your action figures?"

Percy nodded and ran out of the room. Chiron couldn't help but notice the way he kept clutching the pen; already, it was already important to him.

Poseidon's behavior truly baffled Chiron, though. He was putting everything in danger, and all for what? It was uncharted territory, and Chiron really wasn't sure how to handle it.

"Percy," he called, after a moment. "I'm sorry I snapped at you."

"That's okay," Percy called back.

Chiron closed his eyes. He couldn't help himself, wanting to keep Percy happy. He felt an unusual amount of sympathy for the little boy. "Do you want to have pizza for dinner?"

"Sure!" Percy said. He sounded excited again, and Chiron felt relieved. He went to the phone to order.

"Percy, let's go!" Chiron called. He'd been waiting with the suitcases for ten minutes, and Percy had yet to appear. He was in his bedroom, last Chiron had checked.

At last, he shrunk through the doorway, looking somber. "Do we have to?"

"What's the matter?" Chiron asked, concerned. "I thought you wanted to go."

Percy shrugged, twisting his mouth around. "I don't know."

Chiron knelt, making eye contact with him. "What's the matter?"

"Just…" Percy seemed to struggle with himself. "Am I gonna have to leave _again_?"

"What do you mean?" Chiron asked.

"I left my old home," Percy said, "And now I'm leaving here. Am I going to have to move again?"

Chiron went on impulse, and gave him a hug. "I promise you, until you're all grown up, you won't have to move again."

"Okay," Percy replied, his voice muffled by Chiron's shirt.

"Can we go now?" Chiron asked. He waited patiently, as Percy thought.

"Okay," Percy said. He silently took Chiron's hand and allowed himself to be pulled out the door.

And then, Chiron began worrying. All through the trip downstairs and the car ride, he felt himself swimming in concern. What if he hadn't cared for Percy properly? What if they made a bad impression on the first day? It was nerve wracking, being a pseudo-parent, and he knew he wouldn't do it for anyone besides Percy.

"Are you feeling okay?" Chiron asked. He almost reached up to touch Percy's forehead, but stopped himself. He couldn't get manic just when they were returning to camp. At camp there were dozens of children to coddle… he would drive himself crazy.

Percy nodded silently, his expression caught in a pout. He was no longer the enthusiastic child that Chiron was used to.

"Are you… are you excited about seeing Grover and Nate again?"

Percy nodded once more, his pout deflating into a frown. He'd liked them.

Just when Chiron thought that the worrying was going to kill him, they arrived at camp. He breathed a sigh of relief. Despite the stress that the place brought, it was his true home. He loved it there.

"Alright," Chiron asked. "Why don't we set you up in the Hermes cabin?"

Percy stopped in his tracks, and Chiron could almost see the gears shifting in his head. "Hermes…" he said, his voice softer than Chiron had ever heard it. "Is that the man from my party?"

Chiron felt suddenly sad. He sounded so hopeful… he was smarter than they'd taken into account. "No, I'm sorry."

Percy looked disappointed, but the sight of Nate and Grover cheered him up. He called to them, waving happily.

"Hey Percy!" Nate said, giving him a high five. "Are you excited?"

Percy nodded meekly. "Do you want us to show you around?" Grover asked.

"Yes," Percy answered. He looked happy once again, and smiled.

Chiron relaxed a little bit. Perhaps things would work out.

"Chiron," a familiar voice called.

The centaur pivoted, seeing Dionysus behind him.

"We have to talk."

Chiron closed his eyes, not allowing the presumed trouble to get to him. As sweet as Percy was, disaster stuck to him like a shadow.

A/N: Reviews would be super, super appreciated! Love you guys, thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed, I really appreciated it! Sorry this chapter took a little longer than usual; I've been studying for finals. But now… they're over! Hopefully, I'll be able to update more than usual, until I go away with my school on the 11th.

"Of course," Chiron answered, putting on his best smile. From what he could tell, Dionysus was already in a mood.

He followed the god back into his office, wondering what could possibly have gone wrong now.

"Hermes may have found three more demigods," Dionysus said bluntly, eyeing a bottle of red wine like a puma might eye a bird.

"Well, that's excellent," Chiron replied. He didn't have the energy to go over the ways it was probably _not_ amazing, and decided just to wait for Dionysus to tell him.

Mr. D shrugged, eyes traveling across the room. Clearly, he had his own thoughts on the subject matter. "I suppose," he said, at last. "But that's not the problem."

"What's the problem?" Chiron asked.

"One of them is underage," Dionysus said. "Significantly so. Almost the same age as Peter –"

"Percy," Chiron corrected, under his breath.

"And I'm getting concerned," Dionysus said.

"Why?" Chiron asked. He always felt relieved when they brought in the new demigods; it meant one less death that they'd have to worry about.

"It makes it seem like the prophecy is growing closer," he replied.

For the first time since Chiron had known Mr. D, the god looked almost human. His drowsy and careless eyes betrayed a light worry; after all, he'd of course have the most at stake if the end of the Olympians were approaching.

"I –" Chiron began, stopping himself. "Why do you say that?"

"They're together," Dionysus said, sighing. "The three possible demigods. They found each other, and in the name of my brother of the Underworld, I want to know why." It was the closest the gods could come to cursing without setting off a small hurricane.

"Oh," Chiron said. "Well, if there were three _together_ and only one was underage, I wouldn't worry about it."

"No?" Dionysus asked curiously.

"No," Chiron said, as confidently as he could. "Who even knows? There might be a reason that they found each other, even though one is underage." He felt his skin prickle with uncomfortable heat. It was a peculiar thing, trying to reassure a god; it was not quite equivalent with physical pain, but something close to that.

"Maybe you're right," Dionysus agreed at last, sighing. His rose cheeks contracted as the god sighed. "Screw it, I want a drink."

Chiron nearly laughed. It was funny, when Dionysus showed his more whiny side. "I'm sorry, I don't think I can help you there."

Dionysus raised his eyebrows. "Guess not. Oh well, that's all."

Chiron stood up, giving a bow of his head to Dionysus.

"And Chiron?" Mr. D called.

"Yes?"

"Make sure Patrick isn't any trouble."

Chiron tensed. He didn't think that Dionysus would be sympathetic to the fact that Percy didn't _intentionally _cause trouble.

It was getting late, so after a stroll around the archery tent, he decided to head over to the Hermes cabin. He could say hi to the other campers too, after all; it had been a while since he'd seen them.

"Hello," Chiron greeted merrily, stepping over the threshold. "How is everyone?"

He got a few mumbled 'Fines', and an enthusiastic Percy, running towards him. "Chiron!" He gave the Centaur a hug around the legs.

"Hi," Chiron said, disentangling him. He couldn't be seen playing favorites in front of the other campers.

"Chiron," Percy said, his rosy cheeks pinched in a grin. "Look!" he pointed a chubby fist at his newly made bed.

"That's nice," Chiron replied kindly, smiling down at Percy.

Percy continued to stare at the centaur, a most thoughtful expression on his voice. "Chiron!" he repeated the name again.

"Dinner!" a boy called, from somewhere outside.

There was a scrambling of feet, and soon the cabin was empty, save Chiron and Percy. Nate and Grover dawdled by the door, waiting for their little friend.

"Nate, why don't you take Percy up?" Chiron said, calmly. "Grover, I'd like to talk to you for a moment. Can you stay?"

"Sure," the satyr replied. He looked nervous, but obediently waited behind.

Chiron watched Percy from behind, running out of the cabin with Nate at his heels. He seemed to be adjusting well, although there was something about it that irked at Chiron.

He pushed past that though, trying to focus on the question at hand. He couldn't always be dwelling on Percy's wellbeing.

"These demigods, you know of course?"

"I head out day after tomorrow. Mr. D told you?"

Chiron nodded. "He's worried. The prophecy." Chiron flushed, concerned he'd said too much. There was no… reason to infer anything, though. Hopefully Grover wouldn't make any sort of connections.

"Yeah," Grover replied. "I… I don't know." For a moment, he looked as if he wanted to say more, but refrained. He was a good Satyr, and Chiron respected his decorum. He'd never put anyone in an awkward position, including himself.

"Alright," Chiron said, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry about it. You make a good searcher."

"Thank you," Grover replied, smiling.

"Why don't we catch up?" Chiron asked. He wasn't sure why he wanted to talk to Grover exactly, possibly just to ensure that someone had a handle on the situation.

"Okay," Grover said. He brightened. "Okay."

Dinner was an uncomfortable experience. Percy made a bit of a fuss, and attracted much attention. He played with his food, and all of the older campers went by his table to say hello. Evidently he was the youngest demigod they'd had in some time.

"Chiron?" Percy asked, licking the spaghetti sauce from his fingers. "Who are all these people?"

Chiron sighed, patiently leaning towards him. "Remember Percy? Demigods?" He carefully tried to read Percy's emotions through his face, which was somewhat hard to do. Percy, while fairly black and white, seemed to spend most of the day in a state of relative pensiveness.

It took a moment, and then realization began to dawn. The cloud lifted from Percy's green eyes, and he smiled. "Right. Cool." He returned to his generous helping of spaghetti.

When dinner was over and the campers had begun filing out, Chiron took Percy's hand instinctively. He shouldn't, but he planned on bringing Percy back to his cabin. He was only six; he deserved to have a friendly face on his first night.

"I'm going to say goodnight now, okay Percy?" Chiron said, gently pushing back the boy's black hair.

"What?" He looked surprised.

"Goodnight," Chiron repeated, smiling. "It's almost bedtime."

"Where are you going?" Percy asked, looking horrified.

"Back to my room," Chiron explained. "That's where I stay, at camp."

"Oh." Percy's eyes widened in understanding. "You won't be here?"

"Don't worry Percy," Chiron said, in a softer tone. "I'm not that far away."

"What if I get thirsty?" Percy asked. It was true, he usually awoke around midnight for a glass of water.

"Well… why don't you ask Nate?" Chiron said. Nate waved from his bunk.

"Okay…" Percy said. He nodded, glancing up at Nate. "Alright. I'll miss you."

Chiron's first reaction was to glance around and see who was watching, and his second was to soften just a little too much. He quickly held himself at chance, bidding Percy goodbye. "I - I'll see you tomorrow Percy. Goodnight."

"Goodnight Chiron!" He waved his hand, staring at Chiron until he was all the way down the path.

A/N: That's it for now! I'd love it if you reviewed! Please? Just so you guys know, Little!Percabeth is coming up in the next chapter. : )


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed last chapter! Love you guys!

Days later, Chiron was rudely awakened by a commotion. It took him a moment to orient himself, and then he sat up. According to the window, there was something going on outside.

He sighed, and slowly got out of bed. Camp Half Blood was never quiet, although its chaos usually didn't end up being in the middle of the night.

As usual, his thoughts traveled immediately to Percy. What if the little boy had caused some kind of trouble? Chiron smiled wryly; that wouldn't have shocked him one bit. With an ounce of dread hanging around his hooves, Chiron slunk outside.

"What's going on?" he shouted, to no one in particular.

"New campers," a teenage son of Hestia replied. "They've just arrived."

Chiron closed his eyes a moment, regrouping. "Have you seen Mr. D?"

"No, sorry," the boy replied. He ran off then, chasing after his half-siblings.

It took a few seconds, but Chiron noticed that most campers were huddled around a specific spot on the grass. He approached it reluctantly, wondering what he might find. Yes, new campers always meant excitement, but generally not panic in the dead of night.

"What – what's going on here?" he asked, pushing past campers. "Grover?" he asked, when he noticed the Satyr, sprawled on the grass. "What's going on?"

Grover sat up, raising a hand in the air. "I found them, Chiron… the half-bloods."

He sounded vaguely upset, and Chiron's eyes finally turned to the new demigods. There were two, a girl and a boy. The boy could be no older than his young teens; he was crying, and clutching at the hand of the little girl. She was certainly as young as Percy, if not younger.

Chiron knelt beside them, putting the most calming expression on his face. "Hello," he said kindly, "Are you two alright?" It was a stupid question, as both were sobbing fairly hard, but he asked it nonetheless.

"Chiron…" Grover said, nearing the huddle, "Their friend…" The little girl made a noise, and hid her face in the boy's shirt.

"What?" Chiron asked, a pocket of dread appearing inside of him. It had been a while since they'd lost a camper before even arriving at camp.

"She got killed," Grover said, quietly. "By the Minotaur."

"Oh dear…" Chiron muttered, sighing. "And they were friends, the three?"

"Yes," Grover replied, "They'd been running together for a while. But Chiron, there's something else."

"What is it, Grover?"

"The girl… Thalia was her name… she was a daughter of Zeus. The tree over there, that's her…"

Chiron gaped a moment, but recovered quickly. A daughter of Zeus and a son of Poseidon, already in their midst. Apparently gods didn't have much self-control. "Alright, well, we won't think about that now."

His heart fluttered with an overload of thoughts. The prophecy, Percy's secret paternity. They would all be given new meaning now, with this development. He pushed them from his mind, focusing on the demigods in front of him.

"Would the two of you like to spend the night in the Hermes cabin?" he asked, as gently as he could.

The boy's gaze shifted upwards, tears still slipping down his cheeks. "My father…" he murmured, before breaking into another storm of sobs. He wouldn't let the little girl out of his clutches.

Chiron turned to Grover, his face plainly desiring an explanation.

"He's a son of Hermes," Grover said, nodding. "His name's Luke. And Annabeth's a daughter of Athena."

"Alright," Chiron said, sighing. "I'll take him over to Hermes first, and then I'll take her over to Athena. Do you think… do you think they'll be alright there?"

Grover nodded, shrugging. "Where else can they go? Besides, everyone's awake. I'm sure they'll take care of them."

"Okay," Chiron replied heavily. "Would you like to come with me?" he asked kindly.

Luke sniffled, Annabeth's hand still in his. He seemed reluctant to let her leave him.

Chiron fed them as much exposition as he could, without overwhelming them with information. He told them all of the exciting aspects of camp, careful to steer clear of the dangerous ones. It didn't seem to do much good, though, as both kids were still crying by the time they got to the cabin.

"Luke, would you like me to set you up inside?" Chiron asked.

The boy nodded. He crouched down, and whispered something in the girl's ear. She didn't smile exactly, but she seemed to brighten.

Luckily or unluckily, depending on perspective, the Hermes cabin was empty except for Percy.

He ran forward, throwing himself at Chiron as he so often did. He'd adjusted well to camp, although he remained rather attached to Chiron.

"Chiron! Where is everyone?"

"You didn't go outside?" Chiron asked, surprised. He was pleased that Percy hadn't been absorbed by the chaos, although he had fully expected him to be. Percy was all curiosity and adventure; he had very little common sense.

"Nate told me to stay here," Percy answered, looking disappointed. "Where'd everyone go?"

"Don't worry about it, Percy," Chiron answered. "Listen, I'd like you to meet some new campers."

"New campers?" Percy asked, looking hopeful.

"Yes. This is Luke and Annabeth…" He didn't know their last names, and realized he'd have to ask about them later.

Percy leaned over to Chiron, whispering to him in an extremely loud voice, "Why are they crying?"

Chiron hesitated, wondering what to say to him. "A very sad thing happened, Percy," he explained, at last. "One of their friends died."

"Oh…" Percy said, his lips curling downward. "Like my mommy?"

"Yes," Chiron replied, "Like your mommy." He paused a moment, thinking. "Percy, why don't you talk to them for a little while? They could probably use a friend."

"A friend?" Percy asked, perking up. "Okay!" He walked up to them, giving them each a wave. "Hi."

Luke hardly cracked a smile. He waved back, rubbing softly at his eyes. Obviously, he was not in the mood for someone as enthusiastic as Percy.

"Hi," Percy said again, this time to Annabeth.

She looked at him reprovingly for several long moments, before waving back. "Hi… My name's Annabeth Chase." Her expression was still one of confusion and sadness, as if she were perplexed by the turn of events.

"My name is Percy Jackson. Are you a dime-a-god too?"

"Demigod," Chiron quietly corrected.

Annabeth nodded. "Athena's my mom."

"Oh, my mommy was Sally Jackson. But then she died, just like your friend did." Chiron massaged his temples, reminding himself to coach Percy on tact.

Annabeth's lower lip trembled over so slightly, but she nodded once again. "Who's your dad?"

"I don't know," Percy said, shrugging.

"Your not a son of Hermes?" Annabeth asked.

_Bright_ _kid_, Chiron thought to himself.

Percy shook his head. "I don't know, really."

"That's too bad," Annabeth said.

"Yeah," Percy agreed.

"It's getting a little late," Chiron cut in. He hated to interrupt them, but he knew the children would only cheer up when morning came. "Annabeth, can I take you to the Athena cabin now?"

She nodded, hugging Luke tightly. "Goodnight Luke. Goodnight Percy."

"Goodnight Annabeth Chase! Goodnight Chiron!" Percy shouted.

A/N: More of the Percabethish things to come, don't worry. Please review!


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! I really, really appreciate it!

-One Year Later-

"What are you doing?" Annabeth asked, settling next to Percy by the lake.

It had been a year. Annabeth and Luke had adjusted to camp, as best as expected.

"I'm trying to teach Nate how to do a flip dive," Percy explained.

"Teach him?" Annabeth made a face. "I don't like the water. It's too cold."

Percy ignored her, flapping his arms at Nate. "You have to jump! Jump!"

"Yeah, okay," Nate replied, spitting out a mouthful of the water. He grinned, perfectly pleased to be humoring the kid. He tried it again, splashing both Annabeth and Percy.

"Ew," Annabeth said, delicately brushing the water from her shoulders. "Have you seen Luke?"

Percy's smile fell flat. He never grew to like the older boy, even after all of the time the three of them had spent together. He seemed… rather possessive of Annabeth. Even though they were little, and were just happy to have kids their own age to hang out with.

That's why they were friends, more or less. Most of the time, they hardly got along. But they were the only two youngest demigods at camp, and so they meshed by default.

"No," Percy said. "Hey, you wanna go get lemonade?"

"Not right now," Annabeth said. She pulled out a book from her backpack and began reading.

"You read a lot," Percy commented, glumly. Having never been best friends with a girl before, he assumed that all girls until the rest of time would spend their days reading. "Don't you have trouble?"

"Huh?"

"With reading." Chiron's explanation of dyslexia and ADHD were two of the few things that had gotten through to him.

Annabeth shook her head, obnoxiously absorbed in her book.

"Hey Percy," Nate called, from down in the water. "You want me to jump again?"

"Yeah!" Percy shouted.

From a few feet away, Chiron watched them. They were happy, he observed, and it made him smile. He worried about Luke, though.

The boy always seemed sullen, as if he was thinking deeply about something. It was not necessarily obvious to the natural eye, but Chiron had learned to pick up on the half bloods who weren't handling camp well.

He had mentioned it to Dionysus, once. The god had shrugged it off, as Chiron had expected, but at least the centaur could tell himself that he tried. It didn't stop him from worrying, though.

"Percy," he called, emerging from the shade of Thalia's tree. "Do you want me to bring you two some lemonade?" He didn't say that he heard Percy asking Annabeth about it.

Percy nodded, taking a giant leap into the water.

"Alright," Chiron said. "I'll be back soon." He knew he shouldn't offer to do things for Percy; he knew that he was spoiling the boy. He couldn't help it though, he felt as if he was making up for Percy's lack of present parents.

"Why does he always do that for you?" Annabeth asked, turning her head towards him.

Percy gave a big shrug, shaking his head to the side. "I don't know. I like lemonade, though."

"Me too. Hey Percy, how come you like swimming so much?"

"I don't know," Percy said again. "I think it's fun."

"You know, maybe you're a son of Poseidon."

"The water god?" Percy asked. He beamed. "That'd be awesome!"

Annabeth smiled a little. "Well, I just figured. Cause you like swimming so much, and you don't know who your daddy is."

"Yeah," Percy said. He nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah!" Even after learning a considerable amount about the gods from Annabeth, he still had not put together the pieces that Poseidon was the one who had come to his birthday party.

"You think?" Annabeth asked. "I don't know. I think he's not supposed to have kids."

"What do you mean?" Percy asked.

"Just something Luke told me. About this thing called the pact. The Big Three – that's Hades, Poseidon and Zeus – they aren't supposed to have kids. Thalia was one of them too."

"Really?" Percy asked. He paused for a moment. "Hey, if the gods break the rules too, then how come we always get in trouble for it?"

Annabeth shrugged. "I don't get in trouble for stuff."

"I do," Percy muttered, grudgingly folding his arms.

"That's cause you broke Dionysus's favorite goblet."

"It wasn't my fault!" Percy argued.

The two digressed, arguing over Percy's mischievousness, and Chiron stood where he was. Quietly, he placed the two lemonade cups on the ground. Was it really that easy? All of their hard work, down the drain, because a daughter of Athena was the tiniest bit too smart.

Maybe this wasn't so bad, though. They were just speculating, fantasizing about who Percy's mystery dad could be. Percy was a natural swimmer, he showed natural attributes of a son of Poseidon. They should have been smarter; they should have expected this. How could he not notice, after all?

Chiron realized, with a wry smile, that they had played too much on the fact that Percy was not the most observant child. With Annabeth by his side, though, that didn't matter so much.

"Hi," he said, approaching them at last. "Here's your lemonade."

"Thanks Chiron," Annabeth said cheerfully.

"Thanks!" Percy said, his words muffled by the splashing of the water. He was in the lake once again.

"I'm going to be over in the big house, with Dionysus. Okay?"

"Okay," the kids replied, in unison. They waved, contentedly sipping their lemonade by the lake. None of them bothered noticing Luke, who was standing on the far side of Thalia's tree, listening to every word that was said.

A/N: Here we go. It's going to get a bit more plotish now. And more time jumps. Yay for time jumps! Anyways, please review!


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Hi guys! Yay, this is the first thing to be updated since camp! : ) Anyway, I hope you like it!

"Come in," Chiron called. He was at his desk, thoroughly immersed in unwanted appointments.

"Ah, Luke," he said. "I forgot you were coming."

Luke's already sour expression darkened, and he shrugged. The boy was thin, Chiron noticed. He looked as if the only thickness to his skin was muscle.

"Sorry," Chiron continued, trying to look apologetic. "Please, sit down."

Luke did so obediently, uttering a quiet "thanks".

"So," Chiron said, "What is it that you wanted to talk to me about?" He sat patiently, waiting for Luke's silence to slip past them. Unwittingly, his eyes traveled to the clock on the wall.

"It's Percy," Luke said at last. "I'm worried about him and Annabeth." He sounded both ashamed and defiant, as if he were proud of his offensive words.

"Well…" Chiron replied, stretching out the syllable as he tried to think of what to say. "What's wrong with him?"

"I think he might be a son of Poseidon." He blurted it out, the words too delicious for him to hold back any longer. His eyes held a strange wildness to them; he was… happy?

Chiron looked at him with caution. "That's a serious accusation to make."

"But you're not denying it."

"I don't know the identity of Percy's father any more than the other unclaimed half bloods, Luke," Chiron sighed. "I wish I did."

"But if you could guess," Luke pressed him. "Haven't you noticed that he loves the water?"

Chiron nodded. "Of course, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything. Luke, Poseidon made a pact with his brothers. How could Percy possibly be his son?" For his own sake, he hoped that his voice wasn't quite as metallic as it sounded in his head.

"Thalia was a daughter of Zeus," Luke reminded needlessly. "If she existed, why not Percy?"

Chiron smiled tremulously, hoping it came off as genuine. "She was one demigod, though. It's hard to imagine that there would be others… from them." Even as he said it, he wondered if any children of Hades would be showing up in the next few years.

"Why?" Luke challenged. His tentative silence was completely gone now, replaced by a deep excitement.

"You have to trust the gods, Luke," Chiron said, feeling the sickness of his words. "They know what they're doing, they wouldn't jeopardize the safety of the world."

"I heard that there was a prophecy," Luke said.

Chiron's heart sped. Just how much did the boy know? "Where did you hear that?" he asked casually.

"Around," Luke said. "But wouldn't that be it, then? Even if none of us know – even if he doesn't know – couldn't Percy be the child of the prophecy? He could bring down the gods by mistake!"

Chiron didn't speak for several long seconds. He watched Luke's glazed eyes, the classic stretched out smile. It was clear what this was really about. "Luke," Chiron said, as gently as he could. "Don't worry about Percy, alright? He'll be fine. Just… be grateful that your father claimed you, okay?"

Luke turned away bitterly, frowning. "Sure," he muttered. "But Chiron," he was almost at the door now, turning back around with sudden inspiration. "You must know more than you're telling me. Percy lived with you for a year, didn't he?"

Chiron cleared his throat, gazing intently at the son of Hermes. "Don't worry, Luke. It's fine, really."

"Okay," Luke said, nodding. He sounded oddly resigned, and Chiron worried what else he was planning.

"Here," Chiron said, trying to be kind. "I'll walk you back to your dorm."

"Hi Chiron!" The centaur momentarily closed his eyes, begging the little voice to go away. This wasn't a good time.

"Hello Percy," Chiron replied, giving him a smile. "What can I do for you?"

"Annabeth and I had a fight," Percy said, his cheeks puffing out. "She's reading _again._"

"Well, I was just about to take Luke back to the Hermes cabin," Chiron said. "How about you come with us, and we can talk about it?"

"Okay," Percy said happily.

A side-glance from Chiron to Luke told the centaur nothing; the boy remained strangely impassive.

The three were nearly at the cabin when Chiron noticed that Luke had run off. He heaved a sigh, wondering uselessly where Luke had gone. Thoughtlessly, he vocalized this to Percy.

"Oh, he's probably by the tree," Percy said, pointing. "He's _always_ by the tree."

"Right," Chiron answered him. "Thank you, Percy. Would… would you like to talk about Annabeth now?"

"Nah," he replied, "It's okay. I'm gonna go make Nate go swimming with me!"

"Have fun," Chiron said, smiling. "Come back in time for dinner."

"I will!" Percy shouted, barreling through the doors of the Hermes bunk.

Chiron remained where he was, his hooves clacking against the matted earth. With grim acceptance, he mused on how long they'd be able to evade the approaching disaster. Prophecies, demigods… all were brought out in the open eventually. Even Poseidon, ruler of the sea, couldn't keep a secret hidden from fate.

A/N: Thanks so much for reading! Please review!


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! Love you guys, you always make writing so much more fun! : ) Hope you like the chapter!

"Percy, can I talk to you for a second," Luke said. He was hovering behind Percy and Annabeth, looking oddly nervous.

"What?" Percy said, surprised. He rubbed his hands over his tanned face, brushing away cookie crumbs. Luke rarely ever spoke to him directly.

"Yeah, okay," Percy said. He turned to Annabeth, shrugging. She glanced over at Luke too, suddenly beaming.

"Well, go," Annabeth encouraged him. She gave him a light push, still staring at the older boy. She liked him a lot, Percy knew.

Percy got up, slowly approaching him. He gave a wave, grinning anxiously. Even though he was almost nine now, Luke seemed so much _older_.

"Hey Percy," Luke said, waving back. His nervousness – though still present – was invisible now. He was set on his goals.

"Hi," Percy replied, shuffling his feet.

"Listen Percy, do you want to take a quick walk with me? Over to our cabin maybe?"

"Sure," Percy said. He glanced back at Annabeth, who was still watching.

"Percy, can you keep a secret?" Luke asked.

"A secret?" Percy said, his eyes wide. "Sure. When I first learned about camp, Chiron told me to keep it a secret. You know, cause lots of people didn't know about it."

"Right. Well, this is kind of like that. Not a lot of people know." Luke smiled, realizing that he had resorted to the kind, gentle speech that he had once used with Annabeth. He still did, sometimes.

"Percy," Luke said, looking him right in the eyes. "Do you know who your father is?"

"No," Percy replied. He hadn't forgotten his and Annabeth's theory about Poseidon, but it seemed more like a joke to him. He didn't fully believe it.

"Well, I do," Luke said. He grinned, noticing Percy's expanding mouth. Maybe this would be easier than he expected. "Percy, you're a son of Poseidon. Do you know who that is?"

Percy nodded, giving Luke a funny look. Right, Luke reminded himself, Annabeth had been talking to him. He made sure not to mistake this bare knowledge as intelligence.

"He's… he's my dad?" Percy whispered. His iris's had become perfectly circular, staring at Luke as if hypnotized. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Luke replied. He instinctively knew that he was right, no matter what Chiron had said. "How – how do you feel about that?" He realized, surprised, that he was nearly shaking in anticipation.

Percy stood a moment, thinking. "I like to swim," he blurted then. He eyed Luke, almost pleadingly. "Is that okay? That Poseidon's my dad? Annabeth said…"

"I know," Luke replied. "But listen to me Percy, this isn't your fault. It's Poseidon's fault. He's trying to keep you concealed, just so he won't get into trouble. That's not fair, right?"

"You mean that's why he didn't tell me?"

"Yes," Luke repeated steadily. "That's why." He kneeled down to Percy's level, their eyes still tightly locked. "It's okay to be angry with him. Are you angry?"

"Angry?" He sounded confused.

"Yeah. You know, for making this your problem. For not… for not telling you that he was your father."

"No, I'm not mad," Percy said, quietly. "I don't like to tell people, when I do something bad."

Luke frowned. "But it's not the same, Percy. There's – there's a prophecy."

"A what?"

"A prophecy," Luke repeated. "It says you could die, Percy. Because of your dad. And he didn't tell you."

Apparently, this was the wrong thing to say to someone so young. Percy stared up at him, looking more confused and scared than ever. "Can I go back now?" He gestured to the door, still gazing at Luke with fear.

"Sure," Luke replied, disappointed. "See you at dinner."

Percy raced away, stumbling off the steps as he went.

Luke sighed, sitting on his bed. Had he made a future ally? He wasn't sure. If he wanted to get revenge on the gods – especially his father – he couldn't do it alone. And Percy, young though he was, had a whole prophecy about him. He was more powerful than any of them could see yet, Luke knew. And if he worked quickly, turning him against them, maybe they could do this together.

He smiled then, standing up. Maybe it hadn't worked yet, but Percy was still so little. He might not think about this again for some time. Or maybe, if he was lucky, Percy wouldn't be able to get it off of his mind. That would be even better.

"Luke?" It was Grover, hesitantly entering the cabin.

"Uh, I just ran into Percy. What was it he was saying about Poseidon, and um, you telling him?" He looked angrier than Luke had ever seen him, although his features were finely composed. He was onto him, Luke worried.

He rolled his eyes. _So much for a secret. _"Nothing," Luke said. "I just shared a theory with him."

"About Poseidon?"

"Yeah." When Grover didn't respond, Luke added, "So what?"

"Don't go around saying that," Grover warned. "Please, Luke. He's really little, he could get the wrong idea."

"Why? Do you think I'm right?" Luke challenged. He felt bad, watching Grover struggle on the spot. The two of them had become good friends, since Luke's arrival, and he didn't mean to make him squirm.

"I don't know," Grover whispered. "But I do know, that if anyone knew anything, they would tell us." He eyed Luke more fiercely than Luke knew he was capable of. "Percy's eight. He could easily be claimed in the next few years."

"Yeah, but he won't be. You watch." With that, he spun on his heel and left Grover behind. Wrapped up in his refreshed anger, he didn't bother to fear Grover's concern.

A/N: Anyway, that's it for now! I know it's a bit short, but this chapter is kind of essential. Thanks so much for reading, you guys! Please review!


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: I'm so incredibly sorry for the long wait! Life got busy and everything, and then I got a bit caught up with writing one-shots. Very sorry, guys! Also, like I think I said before, we're about to get very AU soon. They're hints at it in this chapter… with the Silena stuff, but it's going to get more so. Thanks for reading!

On the outside, it appeared that life went on much the way it had been before. Luke continued to brood, spending many hours sprawled under Thalia's tree. He never brought a book, or any sort of entertainment, and Chiron watched him with concern. Was he really spending five hours thinking every day? That couldn't be healthy. Chiron had already steeled himself for disaster, remembering the common mantra for unsettled demigods: they rarely go astray, but when they do, it's awfully hard to recover. He was prepared for the worst, silently praying that his assumptions were wrong.

Annabeth and Percy also appeared to be roughly the same. Percy seemed to have forgotten about his conversation with Luke, sort of, and had returned to his usual petty arguments with Annabeth. The only real difference was that Grover now made sure to keep an incredibly close watch on him. One false move, he told himself, and he would come clean to Chiron about what Luke had said.

"Hey Percy," Grover said, "What's going on?" Nate was at his heels, smiling a bit more genuinely than the Satyr. Grover had refrained from telling him about what he'd discovered, so he had yet to be troubled by the boy's behavior.

"Not much," Percy said, looking glum.

"What's the matter?" Grover asked, immediately on edge.

"Nothing," Percy replied, his lip puffing out. "It's just, the girls from the Aphrodite want to throw me and Annabeth a pretend wedding."

Nate tried to stifle his laughter, and ended up choking instead. "One second," he murmured, running off to grab a glass of water.

"What do you mean a pretend wedding?" Grover asked, kneeling down. He was smiling too now, relieved that nothing was actually wrong.

"The new girl, Silena something, she's giving Annabeth a veil," Percy said. He balled his fists together, resting his chin on them.

"Well… do you not want to get married?"

"Not to Annabeth!" Percy yelped, at once. "She's a girl."

Grover laughed. "Well, you might end up liking girls soon."

"Maybe," Percy said, sounding doubtful, "But not Annabeth. All she ever does is read."

"Right," Grover replied, pretending to be serious. "That's a definite problem."

"Grover, do you like any girls?"

Grover darkened to an unattractive shade of crimson, and took his time in adjusting his hat. "Um… there's this one tree nymph, that maybe…"

"Tree nymph?"

"Yeah," Grover said, lowering his voice. "Um, her name's Juniper."

Percy nodded, apparently still depressed. "Can you tell Silena not to make us get married?" He made a face. "Ew, what if she makes us kiss?!"

"I'm sure she won't do that," Grover assured, although he was not sure at all. This gave him an idea though, and he stood up. "Hey, I'll go talk to her, okay?"

He gave Percy a pat, and left him, hoping his plan would work as brilliantly as it did in his head. Silena was pretty young for a new camper, but he'd heard rumors that she'd already had a couple of boyfriends. Maybe she would listen!

"Silena," Grover interrupted, walking into the Aphrodite cabin. Sure enough, a cluster of girls surrounded Annabeth, holding assorted brushes and swatches of lace up to her hair. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

She glanced up, smiling at him. She'd recently adopted Grover as her "pet" of sorts, and treated him with an excess of (patronizing) affection. "One second, okay? We're almost done with Annabeth's hair!"

"Great…" Grover said doubtfully. "But um, Silena, I don't think they want to have a wedding."

"No, we don't," Annabeth pouted softly, crossing her arms. She looked even grumpier than Percy, evidently not keen on having her hair played with.

"It's just a game, silly," Silena said, "And besides, don't they make a cute couple?"

"They're only eight!" Grover exclaimed, struggling with her. When the Aphrodite daughters got excited about something romantic, it became rather difficult to communicate with them.

"Fine," Silena said, "Down with the brushes guys, we'll finish later. What do you want to talk to me about?"

Grover signaled to Annabeth, who promptly raced out the door, and then sat down on Silena's bed. The other girls giggled and scattered about the cabin.

"Silena?" Grover asked, again.

"Hmm?" she replied, brushing at her long hair.

"I was wondering if you could do me a favor."

"What?' Silena asked.

"Ask out Luke."

"What?" she asked again, her attention caught. "Who's that?"

'Uh, he's a son of Hermes? Blonde, tall? I think he's fourteen or fifteen?"

"The sulky one?" She wrinkled her nose. "I don't really like sulky guys."

"What are you talking about? Heather said you had a thing for bad boys."

"Well yeah, _bad boys_, but not depressed guys. And anyways, I'm growing out that."

"Come on, please," Grover said. "I think it would really help him to go on a date. He never really got over his friend's death."

"That girl?" Silena asked, suspiciously. This interested her, Grover suspected. She liked the idea of helping the male species forget that there were other females besides her.

"And…" Grover looked around, trying to see if anyone was listening. The other Aphrodite girls were huddled, applying nail polish, so he figured they were safe. "Do you want to know a secret?"

'What?" she asked, abruptly moving next to him.

"He… he needs someone like you. He tried to make up these lies about who Percy's father is, and he told him, and I think he needs a girlfriend to distract him from stuff like that."

"Who does he think Percy's father is?"

"It doesn't matter," Grover said, shaking his head. He wasn't going to fall into that one.

"Okay…" Silena said, sighing. "He's probably the cutest guy here anyway. I'll think about it."

"Great, thank you!" Grover replied. "I'll see you later Silena!"

"Bye," she said. "Oh, and get Annabeth back here if you see her, okay?"

"Sure," Grover replied, reminding himself to tell Annabeth to run. "Will do." He took a deep breath, realizing that on this one day he'd done more lying than he had in his entire life.

A/N: So excited to do a Grover-centric chapter, you have no idea. Anyway, you might be able to guess where this is going. Luke's quest where he gets his scar is coming up, but obviously it's going to be a bit different than in the books. Thanks so much for reading you guys, I hope you don't mind reviewing for me. : )


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Huge thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter! I'm so sorry that it's taken me forever to update! I start school next week, so updates may continue to take a while, but I'll get them up eventually. Thanks so much for the patience guys!

Coincidentally, Grover's plan worked better than he had intended. Silena and Luke seemed to click like ice and fire; they were very different, but somehow managed a chemical connection. The whole camp watched with awed giggles as they stayed up late, lounging by the lake and kissing their lips into numb bliss.

"I don't like her," Annabeth said, one night. Her arms were crossed indignantly, her small body settled on Nate's lap. She and Percy had been spending more and more time with he and Grover, and less with Chiron. They were growing up.

Percy shrugged. "Who cares?"

Grover watched Luke and Silena, smiling quietly into the night sky. This was what he had wanted, after all. Luke was more distracted than ever, far too immersed in puppy love to remember his suspicions about Poseidon. Or so it seemed. All Grover had to remember was not to share his handiwork with Annabeth, who was becoming quite the feisty warrior. Just last week she had kicked the new girl, Clarisse, in the jaw. No one said that the daughter of Ares hadn't deserved it, but still.

"We should probably go to bed, shouldn't we?" Grover said, "Before –"

"Hello," a voice interrupted. "Isn't it rather late?"

The four winced and turned, worried that they would find an unforgiving Mr. D. It was only Chiron though, smiling wryly and ushering them off.

"Come on," he said, "It's an early day tomorrow. We have an announcement."

"An announcement?" Annabeth sprang forward, gray eyes dancing. The last announcement they'd had… "Chiron, I'm almost nine," she said. "And Percy's nine. We'd be old enough for…" She trailed off, noticing the centaur's expression. Technically, they weren't supposed to be aware that the announcement was about a quest.

"Go to sleep, alright?" Chiron said, his voice gentle. "We'll talk about it in the morning." In his mind, the answer was dead and set. He never wanted Percy going on a quest, if he could help it. It wasn't safe. And Annabeth… she was Percy's friend. He didn't really want her to go either, for his sake. Truthfully, he didn't understand why she _wanted_ to go so badly. It had something to do with Luke, he suspected, but there was no way to be sure.

He watched them go, hoping that all of them were okay. It was hard to tell sometimes, with so many campers. He couldn't personally check on each and every one of them. It was hoped that they would check on each other, which usually _seemed_ true, at least.

Grover was usually easy enough. He rarely seemed troubled or secretive, for which Chiron was grateful. The same was true for Nate, although with a few more scars to his past. He was human, unlike Grover, and so he was a normal age. He was nineteen, working at the camp because he had no other place to go. Still though, Percy and Annabeth were Chiron's main worries. They both had such notorious stories, it made them targets. The centaur worried that he didn't pay enough attention to what went on outside camp's borders. For all they knew, monsters could be staking the place in preparation to capture the two.

Shaking his head, driving these cylindrical thoughts away, he turned his attention the lake. Luke and Silena were still their, looking beautifully content. Their bodies were entwined, his arms snaking around her shoulders to stroke her hair. There was something peaceful and naïve about it, and Chiron hated to feel suspicious. Luke was no ordinary teenager though, and he knew there were precautions to be taken. He tiptoed forward, hooves prancing against the soft earth in the hopes that no one would hear.

They were talking about useless things, at first. How pretty they were, courtesy of Silena. Camp. Future. Each other. They were all sweet nothings, basically. Chiron was smiling, ready to leave them, when the subject suddenly changed.

"Silena?" Luke whispered, turning her head with his fingers. "Do you ever… do you ever get mad at your mom?"

"My mom?" she sounded confused. "Silly, my mom's Aphrodite." As if she thought he meant it the other way around.

"I know," he said, staring steadfast into her eyes. "That's what I mean. Do you ever get mad at her?"

"Not really," she said, shrugging with an irksome impassiveness. In that mind of hers, full of fluff and pattern swatches, she hardly thought of any substantive reasons for anger. Especially to her stunning mother, whom she credited for her own appearance.

"Well, what was your life like?" he asked her. "Before you came here."

"My dad and I were okay," she said, slowly. Still, there was a tug to her voice. She didn't want to talk about it anymore. "Hey, it's a pretty night."

"Yeah, it is," Luke said, quickly. "But Silena?"

"Mmm?"

"Don't you ever wonder what it would be like?"

"What what would be like?"

"A world without them," he replied, nearly giddy. "Where we could get revenge, like we deserve."

Chiron stood frozen, his worst fears confirmed. The son of Hermes was plotting against this gods. Plotting against his father, against the very criteria of their camp. Well, not so much plotting as theorizing. But Chiron was old and wise, and history tended to repeat itself. He started forward, blindly ready to set the boy straight, when Silena gave a laugh.

"That's so weird," she said, shaking her head. In the glow of the moon, he could just make out her expression. She looked equal parts disturbed and amused. She continued to shake her head and giggle, until Luke tentatively asked her what was funny. They went back to kissing then, and Chiron felt reassured. Maybe she would talk some sense into him.

Really though, it was a fragile hope. He was so determined, and she was so submissive to flattery and affection. He should have considered that it might go the other way, eventually. He should have considered that this was something else to worry about. Instead, with a nod of his head and a final glance at the couple, he retreated to the Big House. Tomorrow they had a big announcement, after all.

Morning came far too quickly, apparently for the entire camp. Mr. D was half an hour late, and everyone's eyes seemed to droop as they clustered outside.

"Sorry this is so early," Chiron said, wearily grabbing the attention of his campers. "But we have some planning to do, after this morning." He smiled. "I would like to announce a new quest."

There was absolute silence, followed by thunderous applause. Things had been far too calm for the liking of a demigod.

"I would like to announce that the leader of the quest is –" Chiron paused, both for dramatic effect and to silence the half bloods, "Nate Desdon."

Nate stepped forward, his brown hair shaggy and a smile on his face. He pumped a fist in the air, Grover slapping him on the back.

"Wow, thanks," he said, grinning.

"There are two others, Nate," Chiron said, following the oracle's instructions. "Would you like to pick them?"

"Sure," Nate said. He turned immediately to Grover, but the Satyr shook his head.

"I should stay here," he said, thinking of Percy and of his duties as a catcher.

"Okay, um, Luke?" Nate asked, with hesitance. He was trying to do a nice thing by including the boy, but Chiron tensed. He wanted desperately to ask that Nate pick someone other than Luke, but that would require a lot of explanation. He let things be, knowing he would regret it later.

Annabeth was tugging on Nate's shirt now, begging to be the second one chosen. That would be her dream, going on a quest with Nate and Luke. But he eyed her with too much love, worrying that she might get hurt. Luke spoke these worries out loud, shaking his head at her.

"No Annabeth, it's not safe. Nate, don't let her come."

"I won't…" he answered softly. He looked at Percy, who was just as young. He stood half-asleep, barely conscious of the situation. No, he couldn't pick Percy either. "Well, I don't know," he said, "Do you want Silena to come?"

A smile curled onto Luke's lips, and Silena stepped forward. "I'd love to come!" she said, batting her makeup-saturated eyelashes. "Thanks Nate!"

"That's settled then," Chiron said, in a tight voice. "Why don't you come into the Big House with me?" They followed him, Luke's arm around Silena.

Annabeth ran back to the Athena cabin in tears, Percy and Grover right behind her. Chiron led the new quest to the oracles side, wondering how they would react when they learned that one of them was going to die.

A/N: That's all for now! I hope you liked it! Please take the time to review, I would really appreciate it!


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Wow, it's been a decade, hasn't it? (har har). All humor aside, I'm really sorry! I can't believe I let this story wait so long, and it won't happen again. I hope you still have a review or two in you… : ) Schola Superum is next (as anyone who reads my profile would know), so stay tuned! I know Chiron's thoughts here are mostly conjecture on my part, but he's such a good guy that I figure they'd have to be there somewhere. You know?

"It's not fair!" Annabeth sobbed, her tiny fingers fisting against her sides. She beat her pillow with savage fury, ignoring Percy and Grover as they sat beside her.

"Why do you care about it Annabeth?" Percy asked, rubbing his exhausted eyes. Announcements woke him up to early. "Why do you even want to go?"

She glared at him through tear-filled eyes, and Grover sighed. Most of the time, he respected both Percy and Annabeth as little people. They were simply young demigods, and they did have feelings and ideas of their own; Annabeth possessed more intelligence than people twice her age. Sometimes though, like now, it felt a lot like babysitting.

"Annabeth," Grover said, smiling at her. "I promise you'll be picked for a quest."

"When?" she asked, folding her arms. Patient as she knew she ought to be, she was stubborn.

"Soon," Grover promised, tilting his head. "When you're older."

"What do you do on a quest anyway?" Percy asked, confused.

"You go to defend your parents," Annabeth replied. "You listen to the prophecy and do what it says." She sniffed, and added in a quieter voice, "It's an adventure."

"Oh," Percy replied. "Okay. Cause everyone's always talking about them, and I didn't know what you do."

"Why don't we go to breakfast?" Grover said brightly, trying to fend off any more questions. Quests often had a lot to do with the gods, and the gods were rather difficult to discuss with Percy…

Annabeth frowned for a moment, and allowed him to take her hand and pull him out of the cabin. Percy followed after, stumbling in his tired state.

Chiron noticed the trio's entry, though he barely cared this morning. Prophecies rarely gave positive messages. They didn't inspire hope, certainly never joy, but this…

_Someone will die._

So blunt and ruthless, Chiron couldn't possibly consider a metaphorical meaning for the phrase. _Someone will die. _And yet they sent _children_ on these quests, all on the ridiculous idea that it was somehow their duty. Why? For being born?

Eyes scrolling over the tables of demigods, Chiron steeled back the moment of hatred for their universe. After all, it _was _their duty. One could even spin a bit of logic into the explanation. They fought for their future. When phrased that way, it didn't sound so terrible. And the deaths hadn't been frequent in years. That Thalia girl was the most recent…

He found the cluster of three, ready to go on the quest. Although they were all friends – and evidently too afraid to sit down, if it meant leaving one another's side – he'd never seen a group look less cohesive. Silena stood, nails shredded in fear, so sleek and beautiful. Luke held her hand, his eyes unfocused. Only Nate wore a calm expression, his dark features solemn with expectancy. _Someone will die… _

The idea of losing one of them… Chiron couldn't bear it. How could anyone, anyone with half a heart, stand the idea? These were his children. Although he might not know them all so well, they all belonged to the same group. As kin of the same insanity, they completed an extended family. The centaur shuddered; his father's genes, he was sure, allowed him to let them go at all. No entirely sympathetic person would bear it.

"Chiron."

Grover stood silently besides the centaur, his eyes wide. "What is it?"

Swiveling his jaw into a half-smile, Chiron began to cover. "Nothing. The prophecy, is all… They're leaving in a few days, you know, so they're preparing."

"It wasn't bad?" his voice slid dangerously up an octave.

"No, not bad," Chiron replied, smiling in reassurance. The corners of his eyes tensed, and he placed a hand on Grover's shoulder. "Don't worry, alright?" he said softly, and gave a wink. "Get back to Annabeth and Percy."

Making a face, Grover shook his head. "That's what I came to talk to you about, actually. Annabeth's really upset Chiron… She wants to go."

This was hardly the kind of thing Chiron could handle right now. "Did you explain, how she's just to young?" His tone sounded uncharacteristically harsh, and Grover felt the worry behind it.

"Of course," he replied, continuing to wag his pimpled face from side to side. "She won't listen to me."

"Well, it doesn't matter for now," Chiron said candidly, staring into space. "She – she wasn't chosen, so it – it doesn't matter…" A moist sigh escaped his lips, and he forced them into a line. "I'll talk to her later, if it comes to that."

"No, I can try again," Grover insisted, worry collecting inside his chest. "…Are you sure everything's okay?"

For a moment, Chiron only stared at him. Chiron trusted him, he did. In many ways, he felt more comfortable confiding in Grover than anyone else. Mr. D responded with a deaf ear, he hadn't known anyone else so long. If he had to tell someone, Grover would be a good choice.

"If I tell you, do you promise not to tell Percy or Annabeth?" Chiron asked, his calm voice twisted with ferocity. The thought of Percy – carefree, confusable Percy – hearing about all this hurt him more than anything. Would he be dealing with this in a few years? Would he have to send the boy he raised, practically, off to die? Startled, the slight epiphany hit him; without Percy, he never would have realized his disgust with the quests at all.

"Sure," Grover replied. Already, his wide eyes rotated with fear. "What is it, Chiron?"

"It's _not _so good," Chiron said quietly, folding his hands together. "It – it said… well, you should say your good – goodbyes well." His voice broke on 'goodbyes', and he frowned at himself. Unlike Grover, who often lost it over insurance commercials, Chiron kept a tight grip on his emotions. He wasn't afraid to feel of course, but after a while in the world of half bloods and monsters, one learns it's better not to dwell.

"What?" Grover asked, shocked. Blanched and trembling, he crouched in front of his mentor. "You mean?... But you aren't _sure_, are you? Oh gods…"

"We're pretty sure," Chiron replied, blinking fast. "Anyway," he continued softly, standing. "I have to help them get ready." He stood up, walking quickly in the other direction without another word. Grover stared after him with teary eyes, gaping in horror. What were they supposed to do now?

A/N: Aw, well, that's all for now. I will try to be better updates though, I promise you. If you review, I promise I'll be especially good about it – seriously guys, reviews are nice motivation. Thanks so much for reading!


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: I know, it's been an obscenely long time. I'm so sorry. Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed last chapter, and I can't begin to apologize enough for the wait.

Luke swung the backpack over his shoulder, his hand laced tightly in Silena's. "Are you ready?"

She nodded, giving a final dab of eyeliner under her lashes. "Yes. Is Nate coming?"

"I think so," Luke replied. "He's just grabbing some more things for the road." Weapons. He hesitated, but decided to leave the issue unsaid. The prophecy had worried them all enough; he needn't remind her of the approaching strife.

With a last stare across the cramped Hermes cabin, he tried to pull her out the door. The endless rows of sleeping demigods... if it was the last time he saw that image, the image he used to despise, then he didn't want to dwell on it.

"Wait, Luke." She put a soft, buttery hand against his chest, holding him in place. "Don't you want to say goodbye to your siblings?" She cocked her head, and he could practically hear the edgy tremors of her heart. Regret began to swallow him, eating up the pride at being chosen by his friend; if they found danger on this quest, if she was killed... he would never forgive himself. Not ever. Nate asked if he wanted to bring her, and he said yes. He was to blame.

"Goodbye," Luke said awkwardly. Several of his half-siblings stood to give their sendoffs, even though they would be at the formal ceremony later. Silena probably assumed - wrongly, that is - that Luke wanted a more private moment with them. He didn't. They were only related on his father's side, what did he care for them? There was only one person he wanted to say goodbye to - two, depending how you considered it.

"Meet you at The Big House?" he asked, nearly pleading with her.

She raised a hand to stroke his face, brushed her glossed lips against his. "Sure." For all her vanity and obsessions with status, Silena had moments of unparalleled clarity. Besides her silky hair and voluptuous body, it was the reason he valued her presence in his life.

"Thanks." He broke into a sprint, though he couldn't explain the hurry. They wouldn't leave without him, surely. "Thalia." He sank to his knees before he realized what he was doing, and stretched his hands out to the mulch and earth. His spine curved a fraction further, extending his hands to the curves of her roots. "Thalia... if I die out there, I need you to take care of Annabeth." He snorted, the absurdity of the request dawning on him. Grover and Chiron would be more likely to look after her, Percy at their heels. The thought of the younger boy made him stiffen, and a frown bubbled up from his flawless face.

"I used to say that to you, when we hunted monsters," he said, his chest hollow. His voice thickened to an affectionate, plaintive timbre, and he wondered just how long he'd been missing her this hard. "On the nights you didn't insist on coming with me, I told you to take care of her. Whatever happened." His eyes narrowed up at the turban of green leaves, willing them fall and drown him here; if he could be with her, cuddled up inside that trunk, then it would all be better. He paused, shocked at the macabre of his thoughts. When was the last time he'd felt so depressed? Silena had made those months go away. "I hate my dad as much as I used to, if you're wondering. I'm not going on this quest to protect him..." he said, heaving a watery sigh. "They want us to kill some monster out there, a really dangerous one, and I'm doing it to protect Annabeth. But I hate Hermes," his voice rose, "I hate him!"

"You shouldn't say those things." The voice caught Luke by surprise, and the blonde boy felt his face flush. He turned, and found Chiron beside him. The centaur pursed his lips, at a bit of a personal crossroads. He'd avoided direct confrontation with Luke for months now, but it seemed time for a discussion. Though the boy seemed willing to follow orders, if only for his friends, he was clearly off his rocker. Troubled. Angsty enough to become a problem. Swallowing, Chiron trotted forward and inhaled deeply.

"You know Luke, my father is a Titan. Kronos." He smiled a wry smile, kindness brightening his eyes. "I'm not... well, I'm certainly not a fan, either," he said. "But Luke, we can't control our parents. We only have to know that, most of the time, they care about us in one way or another."

"Most of the time." Luke's voice was flat, infused with the even bitterness of someone thrice his age. "But not always." Too angry to hear the rest of the lecture, he tightened the bag around his back, swiped a hand over his face, and plodded back to the cabins.

Chiron followed with tentative haste, wanting to speak to him more, but Luke had been intercepted by the time he reached the boy.

"Luke!" Annabeth barreled straight into her older friend, blonde curls tangled around her head. She hid her face in his uniform, tiny body struggling to melt into his. "Take me with you," she begged, "Take me with you!"

"I can't, Annabeth," Luke muttered. He pushed her off with Grover's help, oddly annoyed. He'd planned to have a nice goodbye experience with her, tell her just how much he cared about her, but he felt too angry at the moment. Her sorrow over avoiding danger made him steam, if only because she could never understand this. Besides, he heard how she idolized her mother. The great Athena. The woman who left her under the care of two young kids... How the Hades did anyone think they were safe in this world?

"You okay there, Luke?" Grover asked. The Satyr looked worse for the wear, if not entirely tattered. He rubbed his horn twice before meeting Luke's eyes.

"I'm okay," Luke said, evincing an impressively bright smile. "Ready to set off."

Annabeth moaned quietly, and Percy gave her a funny look. "Why are you so upset, Annabeth? He's gonna come home real soon!" The childhood innocence of Percy's voice tap-danced on Luke's nerves in a way that nothing else could, and he had to clamp down on his tongue.

"He's my best friend," Annabeth said, defensive. "I don't want him to go without me." She strapped herself around Luke's waist, and the older boy felt flattered. His anger with her evaporated.

Percy's face fell. "I'm not your best friend?" His lower lip jutted out, and the two began to quarrel. It ended with Chiron's interruption, his shout that the send-off ceremony would begin shortly. Annabeth returned to Luke's leg, crouching on his far side, and Percy mirrored her behavior with Grover.

"Girls are stupid," Luke heard him whisper. Annabeth stuck out her tongue, but remembered herself quickly when Chiron held up his hand

"Today we send off three of our beloved campers," he said. Was Luke imagining it, or did the old Centaur's voice shake as he spoke? "They are leaving to fight a dangerous monster - one who poses great danger to our world." No demigod dared stir, though Luke did seek Nate and Silena out in the crowd. The former looked sturdy, proud at leading the quest, and Silena looked silently disturbed. He wanted to move forward and comfort her, but he couldn't desert Annabeth just yet.

"Under the lead of Nate Desdon, Luke Castellan and Silena Beauregard will be leaving camp on the first Quest of this year!" The crowd erupted with enthusiastic, not too jolly, cheers. Luke beamed in spite of himself, copying the expressions of his fellow travelers. "So," Chiron went on, "with the best hopes for their return, let's wish our campers a great departure!" Giving Annabeth a final squeeze, he strode forward with grim determination. Ready or not, this was it.

A/N: :D I hope you liked it! Please, please review (and try your best to forgive me for the wait). Much love.


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